Her Trust
by CarriePoppins
Summary: The very day that Zelda brings her firstborn son into the world, her husband Link defeats Ganon - only to discover that the dark sorcerer himself had a son. Unwilling to abandon the child, the royal couple raise him alongside their own, determined to show him that he can forge his own path - even as the shadow of his father's legacy obscures his way. Happy Birthday, KayKay!


She lay gasping for breath, slumped against the sweat-soaked pillows, hardly even conscious of the heavy scent of blood surrounding her and deaf to the voices of the women squealing on all sides, the only sound piercing the haze of pain and exhaustion the sharp cry of a newborn baby.

Of _her_ newborn baby.

She had to fight to lift her head, blinking the sweat out of her eyes, as she slowly focused on the tiny bundle of blankets held by the chief midwife, smiling and cooing before passing the itty, wrinkly babe to his mother. With the last of her energy rush, she gathered the child into her arms and held him to her chest, smiling shakily as he found her teat and greedily began to suck, peering curiously up at her.

Her smile tugged a bit wider. He had his father's eyes.

"Congratulations, my Lady," one of the women called, and a murmur of similar sentiments passed around the room.

"Where… Where's my husband?" the new mother managed.

"He… should be here soon," the chief midwife replied a little too quickly. The woman frowned up at her, but nearly fourteen hours of labor had taken their toll on her, and she couldn't think straight enough to figure out why her response seemed a little bit off. "Let's clean you and the young prince up, Your Majesty. Then you should rest until he arrives."

The midwives gave her a quick, but thorough sponge bath, since she was far too exhausted to walk to an actual bathtub, as well as changed the sheets and tenderly cleaned her newborn child. Then they filed out of the room, whispering excitedly, as she settled against the pillow, cuddling her swaddled and sleeping son to her chest as she drifted off as well.

It was the shift in the blankets, the relief of pressure against her stomach that alerted her subconscious mind, her breath hitching and her eyes flying open in a frantic attempt to determine the source of the danger. Who was trying to steal her baby away?

"Zelda."

Just that one word was enough for her to relax, a soft smile touching her lips and her grip loosening, allowing her husband to lift their child into his arms for the first time. "Link," she murmured sleepily, pushing herself upright enough to rest her head against his leg. He smiled at her in turn, then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She hummed softly, basking in his affection, then watched in contentment as he beamed down at their son, subtly wiping his eyes in the process. She allowed herself a quiet chuckle. Over the years, she'd come to learn that her husband wasn't much of one to display his emotions. Such slight gestures spoke volumes of how he was feeling. But as she continued to watch him, she could detect an undercurrent of stress running through him, in the wrinkle of his brow and a strange dimness in his eyes.

"Link? What's wrong?" she murmured, twisting to better meet his gaze.

He hesitated, glancing towards the door. "Something's happened," he said finally. "The force of monsters that was reported… It wasn't just a random group. Ganon led them."

"What?!" Zelda exclaimed, pushing herself fully upright and groaning at the surge of pain that passed through her body in the process. Link quickly shifted his grip on their son so that he could wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close to him, letting her lean against his chest. "Ganon?" she whispered. "He's in the kingdom?"

"He _was_ in the kingdom," Link corrected quietly. "We ambushed him and his men, and defeated them."

She drew away from him so that she could meet his eyes, her stomach fluttering as she stared at him in utter shock. "You mean… Ganon's dead?"

"Yes."

"After all these years… he's really gone?"

"Yes."

"That seems… anticlimactic. He's eluded us so many times… How were you able to defeat him so quickly?"

At that, Link glanced away, a flicker of shame passing through his eyes. "There were… unusual circumstances. Wait here." He placed their son in her arms, a bittersweet smile touching his lips as the babe shifted, his face twitching before he was settled comfortably back in his mother's embrace. Then he stood and walked to the door of the bedchamber, stepping outside and speaking quietly to someone out of her line of sight for a few moments. When he stepped back inside, Zelda was startled to see that he held a _second_ bundle of blankets in his arms, which he gazed at sadly as he walked back to sit by her side.

"By the Goddesses," she murmured in amazement as Link carefully pulled the blanket back from this new child's face, revealing a sharp nose and a patch of soft, reddish hair.

"I could tell that Ganon was distracted the entire fight," her husband told her softly. "I didn't realize why until it was over. I never found signs of the mother."

"Ganon's child," Zelda whispered in amazement, her thoughts spinning. "Who knows?"

"Impa. I think a few others suspect, but she… _convinced _them to hold their silence."

"Good," the young queen nodded approvingly. "It's best that nobody knows."

"What should we do?"

"We'll raise him," Zelda replied decisively, perhaps even a little defensively. Having just birthed a child of her own, the idea of abandoning the boy was out of the question. Her husband glanced up at her, uncertainty etched in the lines of his face.

"Won't that draw too much attention to him?"

Zelda hesitated. She actually hadn't considered that. Rumors were probably already flying through the castle concerning the heir of Hyrule. They should probably assume that the entire castle already knows she has given birth to a son, although it is possible that news of Ganon's defeat would have eclipsed such comparatively mundane events among the gossip-mongers. Would it be feasible to claim twins? Or would they have to announce an adoption, and face the speculation of the second child's origin, made even more suspicious by the coincidentally convenient end of the most powerful sorceror to have lived in centuries? Should anyone find out his father's identity, the poor boy would surely be ostracized by society, adopted by the royal family or not. Actually, should his identity ever be revealed, his very life could be in danger by those who hold grudges against his father. At least here, they could offer him some level of protection from any misplaced feelings of vengeance. She slowly set her jaw.

"We'll just have to chance it," she decided. "No matter his parentage, the child is an innocent. We need to be there for him, to show him that."

Slowly, Link's shoulders relaxed, a small smile touching his lips. Then he shifted the bundle slightly, holding their new son close to the child clutched in his wife's arms. "Meet your new brother," he murmured. Zelda smiled, wondering which of the two boys he was talking to.

Then again, she supposed that it didn't really matter.

.oOo.

"Kevin, wait for me!"

"Keep up, Luke, come on!"

"You two be careful, now! Stay on the path!" Zelda called, watching her twelve-year old sons as they played among the forest giants of the Lost Woods.

"Aw, come on, Mom!" Kevin laughed from the top of an exposed root that he'd just climbed, bracing himself against the tree with one hand and adopting a grand, theatrical pose, his golden eyes glinting beneath a fringe of red-orange hair. "Everyone knows heroes make their own path!"

"Well," Luke panted, still only half-way up the same natural ladder his twin had used to reach the top, "can they make their paths a little bit slower?" Kevin laughed again, crouching down and offering his shorter brother a hand to pull him higher. Luke sighed in relief, sitting on the root and slumping back against the trunk of its tree, pushing his blond bangs off of his sweaty forehead with one hand.

"Aw come on, you can't be worn out so soon!" Kevin rolled his eyes, flopping down next to him. "We barely had lunch! Do you really need a break already?"

"I'm still digesting, okay!" Luke huffed. "Don't judge, Mr. I-Never-Run-Out-Of-Energy."

Zelda smiled fondly at her children from where she sat, mounted on a white stallion and flanked on one side by a member of the royal guard. They had grown into fine young boys, and she couldn't be prouder of them. Kevin was already tall and broad, with mischievous golden eyes that constantly sparkled beneath his long red hair, which he liked to tie back in a low ponytail. He was a natural leader, although he had a penchant for getting both himself and his brother into trouble.

Luke, on the other hand, clearly took after his father in appearance. His serious blue eyes never missed a trick and he was small of stature for a twelve-year old, which sometimes made it hard for him to keep up with his taller, stronger older brother. But in spite of that, he was fiercely independent, and determined to do everything that Kevin did, no matter how many tries it took for him to get the hang of it. He practically idolized his brother, and they spent nearly every waking moment together. Watching them banter and play… it was almost enough to take her mind off the reason why they had come to the Lost Woods to begin with.

There had been a resurgence of monsters roaming the country in the last few months. It had concerned Link enough that he had decided to seek guidance from the Great Deku Tree, and Zelda had insisted that they make a family trip out of it. The boys had never been that far South, she had argued, and they would one day lead this kingdom. They needed to see it with their own eyes. Though reluctant, her husband had acquiesced, and so here they were, exploring the fringes of the Wood while Link and his retinue pushed on to the Kokiri Forest.

A strange sound caused her head to snap up, gripping the reins of her horse a little bit tighter. Her guard quietly urged his mount forward, reaching subtly for the hilt of his sword. Zelda glanced quickly up towards her sons, still chatting easily amongst themselves. How could she warn them without drawing too much-

Her horse's nostrils suddenly flared, and he balked, his head tossing as he whinnied anxiously. A moment later there came a roar from the forest to her left, and three bokoblins charged into the open, swinging clubs and rusty swords between them. Her stallion reared in panic as the weapons flashed towards him, and before she could adjust her seat, Zelda found herself toppling to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Mom!"

"Your Majesty!"

The queen managed to raise her head, her breath hitching as pain shot through the arm she tried to support her weight on, staring wildly as one of the monsters rushed towards her, the other two already engaged in combat with the guard. She glanced around frantically; she had no weapons, and no way to defend herself against his vicious sword.

She was going to die.

"Get away from our mother!"

Zelda gasped, her heart in her throat as a blur of red rushed past her, tackling the monster and seizing his sword hand. "Kevin, get away from him!" she cried frantically.

"Come on, Mom, get up!"

Her gaze snapped up in surprise to Luke, who had seized her uninjured arm and was doing his best to pull her upright, his blue eyes bright and determined. Zelda stumbled to her feet with his help, but she couldn't follow as he tugged her towards her frantic stallion. She couldn't tear her eyes away from her eldest son, growling in determination as he fought the bokoblin for control of his weapon. "Kevin!"

"Young master!" the guard rushed forward, leaving the bodies of the other two monsters in his wake. Kevin glanced up, taking in the situation quickly, then he quickly released the bokoblin he had been fighting and rolled sharply out of the way, leaving the guard's way clear to finish him off.

"Well," the boy panted, grimacing as he sat upright. "That was exciting."

Zelda rushed forward, tears spilling down her cheeks as she fell to her knees beside him and threw her arms around his neck, ignoring the throbbing pain down her side. Kevin stiffened sharply in response. "Um," he floundered,"it's… It's okay, Mom. I'm fine, see?"

"Don't _ever_ scare me like that again!" his mother sobbed back, squeezing him a little tighter. Then, on an impulse, she grabbed Luke's hand, tugging him into her embrace as well. He yelped in surprise, but otherwise didn't have a chance to resist. "Please," Zelda whispered. _Please_ don't put yourselves in danger like that again."

"Oh come on, Dad throws himself into danger all the time," Luke managed to grunt as his mother crushed his ribs.

"Your father is the _Hero of Time_," Zelda replied in the best 'stern mother voice' she could manage while she was choking on tears. "I can't stop him from putting himself in danger. But _I _am your _mother_. You two are the most precious treasures in my life and it's _my _job to keep the two of _you_ safe, not the other way around. Understand?"

She felt the two boys glance at each other and shrug, then Luke carefully slipped his arms around her in return, closely followed by his brother. "Okay, Mom," he murmured. "We understand."

.oOo.

It was in the three months leading up to her sons' fifteenth birthday that Zelda began to notice a change in Kevin's behavior. He grew surly, moody, and avoided eye contact with those around him. Where before he and Luke had been practically inseparable, now the red-haired young man seemed to avoid his brother. And not just Luke. He began to avoid her and especially Link as well, and every attempt she made to figure out what was bothering him just seemed to make the situation worse.

She chewed her lip uncertainly one day as she walked down one of the more quiet, less-used halls in the castle, reflecting on the matter. What could have caused such an abrupt shift in her son? Why was he pushing his family away?

"Kevin, would you _please _just talk to me?!"

Zelda froze, her head snapping up at the sound of Luke's voice, breaking through the silence like a thunderclap.

"There's nothing to talk about!" Kevin snapped back, and now she could determine their location, through the cracked doorway a little further down the hall to her right. She crept closer, her concern mounting at the harshness of her son's tone.

"It can't be _nothing_! You skip family meals, you don't stick around after sword practice anymore, you keep disappearing without telling anyone where you've gone… And you make every excuse you can to avoid me. Look, I don't know what I did wrong, but could you please tell me so I can fix it?"

Silence. Their mother leaned forward, trying to peer through the crack between the entryway and the door itself, anxious to catch a glimpse of at least one of her precious sons.

"This isn't something that anyone can fix," Kevin growled eventually. "The damage was done the day I was born." A strange shiver ran down Zelda's spine. That didn't sound like her child's voice. It was too dark. Too cold.

"Kevin. Kevin, wait!"

Footsteps.

_Oh no._

She tried to take a step back, but it was too late. The door flew open, revealing her eldest son dressed in his black riding clothes, his eyes widening slightly with the surprise of seeing her there. Luke stood behind him, dressed in a simple blue tunic and brown trousers, his hands raised imploringly after his brother, his blue eyes desperate, pleading. She quickly turned her gaze back to Kevin, and was startled to see his eyes narrowing towards her, an ember of hostility smoldering deep within those golden pools.

"K…Kevin?" she managed weakly, taken aback. His lip curled, and he shouldered his way past her, marching down the hallway with a long stride. His mother stared after him, a strange sense of dread pooling in the pit of her stomach.

"Mom?"

Zelda glanced quickly towards her younger son and his crestfallen expression. She tried to force a gentle smile, but she wasn't convinced that she managed to pull it off. As a matter of fact, she was thoroughly convinced that she did _not_ pull it off when she saw the boy's shoulders droop significantly, his eyes dropping from hers. "Luke," she murmured, taking a half step forward, her hand extending hesitantly towards him. When he raised his head again, there were tears in his eyes. All at once, he rushed forward and threw his arms around her waist, causing her to stumble back a few steps before she managed to wrap her arms around his shoulders.

"Mom, what's happened to him?" Luke pleaded, his voice tight and close to tears. "What did he mean by that, about the day he was born?"

'_The damage was done the day I was born.'_

A chill ran down her spine. She hadn't fully registered the words before; she'd been too caught up in the way Kevin sounded to realize what they meant.

_In Nayru's name… _

"I… I'm not sure," she whispered. It wasn't a complete lie. She couldn't be certain that's what he meant. Couldn't be positive that he'd learned the truth. And she most certainly didn't know how he had heard of it. Her younger son sighed, pressing his face against her shoulder.

"I just… want my brother back," he mumbled.

Zelda's heart broke, both for him, and for herself. "I know, sweetheart. I want him back, too," she murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, like she did when he was a child. Luke had avoided letting her show him that kind of affection in public in the past couple of years - not in the way Kevin had isolated himself from the world, but in an embarrassed teenage boy sort of way - but now he seemed to bask in it, drawing strength from her warmth.

She could only hope that it would be enough.

.oOo.

"Something's troubling you."

Zelda startled slightly, looking up towards the door of the bedchamber at her husband, dressed in a soft white nightshirt and linen slacks, leaning against the doorframe. She smiled a little ruefully, wondering how long he'd been standing there, watching her read and reread the same page of her book five times by the light of the lamp. Or was it six? Not that it mattered. Her eyes roved briefly over his face, then his shoulders, and his tense posture.

"Something's troubling you, too," she replied, setting the volume aside. Now it was his turn to smile sadly, his eyes darkening a little as he sighed and walked over to their bed, sitting down beside her. "A thought for a thought?" she suggested, shifting so that she could lean into his side.

Link hummed absently, instinctively wrapping an arm around her shoulders, his blue eyes staring out their window into the dark sky. She waited, patient, until his eyes slipped closed and he sighed quietly, the fight slipping from his shoulders even as his grip on her arm tightened. "That day in the Lost Woods three years ago? It was just the start. Reports are coming in from all over the country about small-scale monster attacks. Rumors have even started that they've begun to gather en masse, but nobody seems to know where or how many they are. Ganon is dead; I _know_ I killed him, but then why are they still so organized? And then… Then there's…"

Link's voice faltered, and he glanced away from her face. Zelda dropped her eyes as well, curling in on herself. "It's Kevin, isn't it," she whispered. Her husband turned back towards her, and she met his sad, even guilty gaze with as much reassurance as she could muster.

"Yeah," he murmured. "He's been acting… different."

"Reclusive?"

"Among other things. Arrogant. Short-tempered. Violent."

"Violent?"

Link nodded, his brow furrowed with worry. "The way he fights in his sparring matches has changed. It's like… It's like he no longer sees these fights as a way to improve his skills. He sees them more as a way to crush a rival, or even an enemy. Three people have ended up in the infirmary in the past two months alone. I've given Kevin punishment details as per regulations, but he always acts like I'm singling him out on purpose. Like somehow it's proof that I see him as some kind of threat."

"A threat," Zelda repeated heavily, the sense of dread roiling in her stomach all day increasing in intensity.

"Zelda?"

"I overheard Kevin and Luke arguing earlier today. Luke was trying to figure out what's wrong with him, and why he's been so distant of late. By his response and what you've described… Link, I think he knows."

Her husband stiffened slightly, then shifted so that he could look at her head on, gently taking her soft hands in both of his calloused ones. "You're sure?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.

"Reasonably so, yes," she replied, reluctant to lift her eyes to his.

"Goddesses above," Link cursed, and at that Zelda did raise her gaze, surprised to see something between frustration and fear flashing across his expression before he was able to bury them.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?"

"It's just… this complicates matters. I haven't told you this, but… I think it's time to pass the Master Sword on to someone else."

Zelda openly gaped at him, her mind going blank with the shock. "But… But that's…"

"I already talked to the Great Deku Tree about it, back when we visited the Lost Woods three years ago. In fact, he was the one who suggested it. My war is over, Zelda. Ganon is defeated. My role now is to train the next generation of Hyrule's defenders. I know it, the Great Deku Tree knows it, and the Master Sword knows it. And for the last few months, I've increasingly felt the Sword being drawn towards Luke. I wanted to talk to you and the boys, and then I was planning on making a public announcement of my retirement and intended successor at the boys' birthday celebration, but…"

"But with everything that's happening," Zelda whispered, beginning to understand Link's concern, "Kevin might take it as further evidence that we don't trust him. That we've never seen him as anything more than Ganon's son."

"Exactly. But then… What should I do?"

Zelda paused, trying to think. Over the years, Kevin's heritage had grown increasingly unimportant in her eyes. More often than not, she would forget about it entirely, thinking of her son as though she had given birth to him herself. It was only every now and then when she would remember the truth of his adoption. She needed to make him see that. Needed him to understand that she and Link both loved him just as much as they loved Luke. "We need to talk to Kevin," she decided. "Before we say anything to Luke. We need to find out if he's really discovered the truth and help him to understand why we kept it hidden. Then perhaps we can begin to talk about your retirement."

Link hummed uncertainly, gazing out the window again. "I've tried that before. Things… didn't end well."

"Perhaps I should try talking to him alone first."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"He won't hurt me, Link."

"That's not what I meant. It's just, do you really think he'll be willing to listen? I was hardly able to get two words out before he shouted at me and ran off last time."

"I won't know until I try."

"I suppose not."

A calm silence fell between them, each lost in their own thoughts even as Zelda absentmindedly reached for her husband's free hand, quietly lacing their fingers together. It was almost funny, to feel the contrast between them: his hands were hardened and calloused by years of wielding a sword, where hers were soft, the only lump of rough tissue from where she'd held her quill over the years. They were so different from one another, and yet it was their differences that made them a perfect fit. She smiled to herself, allowing her eyes to slip closed.

He was so _warm… _

She didn't notice when she dozed off, but she did startle awake when she felt Link shift beside her. The room was dark when her eyes fluttered momentarily open; he'd already blown out the lamp. Too groggy to think, she let her husband guide her gently under the covers alongside him, then wrap her in his arms and press a soft kiss to her forehead. She smiled sleepily and tucked herself under his chin, curling up against his chest.

"Good night, Zelda."

"Good night, love."

.oOo.

Tracking down Kevin, it turned out, was considerably harder than Zelda had anticipated. She hadn't realized just how determinedly her son had been working to be alone. As Luke had commented when confronting him the other day, Kevin had taken to skipping any and all family activities, be they meals or simply a walk around the grounds. And pinning him down during his free time was even harder. It seemed that either no one knew where he went, or anyone who _had _seen him told different stories about his whereabouts. One person might suggest the stables, another the observatory, and a third the gardens. To make matters worse, Kevin had picked up on the fact that she was looking for him, and began to take pains to avoid her specifically, making the likelihood of a chance meeting slim to none.

After a week of fruitless searching, the queen decided to switch tactics.

The ring and crash of metal on metal assaulted her eardrums with increasing intensity as she drew closer to the practice field, watching the sunlight flash off of the various blades as the young apprentices ran drills with their instructors. She walked quietly, doing her best not to draw attention to herself - no easy task, as the queen's attendance at the training grounds was something of a rarity. Still, with the students so absorbed in following the practice cadence to the letter, not many had time to glance her way.

"Rest!" the drill instructor called as he finished a sequence, and the students all quickly lowered their swords, sighing in relief as they relaxed and stretched their sore muscles. All except one, easily identifiable by his brilliant red hair despite standing at the center of the line, glowering at the practice dummy before him and twirling his sword loosely in one hand, as though debating the best way to strike it down.

"Your Majesty," a voice called, causing Zelda to glance up towards the tall, armored man marching towards her.

"Captain," Zelda greeted in return, smiling warmly.

"To what do we owe this pleasure, my Lady?" the knight asked, bowing slightly to her.

"I simply wanted to check in on the students."

"And perhaps one or two students in particular?" the Captain smiled knowingly. Queen Zelda blushed slightly, but smiled in return all the same.

"I suppose I can't hide it, then. Might I have a word with my eldest?"

"Of course, your Majesty. Hyrule! Over here, double time!" Kevin's head snapped up in surprise. He took a couple of steps towards his instructor, then froze, his gaze fixed on his mother. A strange expression twisted his face. Could it be disgust? Anger? Or simply frustration? "Get your tail moving boy, unless you want cleaning detail for the next week!"

Zelda winced slightly at the sharpness in the knight's tone, especially with how it sent whispers racing among the students. At the far end of the line, where he wouldn't disturb anyone with his left-handedness, she could see Luke peer around his own practice dummy, his curiosity piqued by the noise. Kevin grimaced, then sullenly stabbed his sword point-first into the ground and stalked across the field towards them.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, his golden eyes narrowed at her.

"That's no way to speak to the-!"

"No, it's alright," Zelda interrupted quickly. "Continue your exercises, Captain. I'll return my son shortly."

"As you wish, your Majesty." As he returned his attention to the other students, the queen turned her smile to her son.

"Walk with me?" she prompted, beginning to step away.

"Why should I do that?" Kevin sneered, folding his arms across his chest.

Zelda paused, then sighed, allowing her eyes to close. "Because there are some things we need to discuss, and I doubt you want everyone to overhear us." She began walking once more, and allowed herself a secret smile when she heard her son groan and plod grumpily after her. Once she determined that they had escaped any reasonable eavesdropping distance, she paused, hearing Kevin react in kind, and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"So what's this about?" her son demanded, his voice cold and brittle.

Zelda turned towards him, taking in his tense posture and the closed-off look in his eyes. "You're angry with us," she said simply.

"So you pulled me away from sword practice and dragged me all the way out here just to tell me you've _finally_ picked up on that?" he snorted.

"Yes." Kevin's eyes widened slightly, as though surprised by her frankness, then he averted his gaze from hers, reasserting his look of bitter irritation. "So, will you tell me what's wrong?"

The tall boy folded his arms across his chest, quirking one eyebrow towards her, his expression dark and angry. "Don't give me that. If you went through all this trouble, then you know what's wrong."

"How can I, when you refuse to look me in the eye?"

"You're _seriously_ going to keep playing dumb with me?"

"I need to hear you say it. Please, son -"

"I'm not your son!"

Zelda paused, taking in Kevin's stance: his hands balled into trembling fists at his sides, his jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with barely-tethered flames.

So he did know.

"Yes, you are."

"Stop trying to deny it! I know the truth; I know that I'm Ganon's child!"

"I'm not denying that Ganon is your parent. But you're still my son, nonetheless."

"What kind of crap is that?"

"You've been my son from the moment your father… from the moment Link brought you to me. In my mind and in my heart, you have _always_ been my son, Kevin, and no matter what, I will _always_ claim you as such," the young queen declared quietly, taking a step towards the boy and gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

Just for a moment, Kevin's eyes widened, the anger slipping to reveal something softer and much more vulnerable behind it, but a moment later he turned away, shaking her off and glaring at the ground. "It doesn't matter how you felt. The fact remains that you didn't tell me! You didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth!"

"It wasn't a matter of trust, Kevin. What purpose would telling you have served? To make you doubt yourself? To question what people were thinking every time they were looking at you?"

"I wondered that anyway!" Now it was Zelda's turn to blink, startled by the vehemence and perhaps even anguish in his tone and in his eyes. "You think I haven't noticed the strange looks and rumors all these years? I may not have known the reason, but people have _always_ questioned why I look so different from Luke! They have _always_ whispered that I was cursed, or that I'm dangerous, and I _never knew why!_ The _least _you could have done is give me an explanation!"

Zelda stared at her son, her lips parting slightly as tears burned the back of her throat. Acting on impulse, she stepped forward, and before he could flinch away, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her chest. Kevin stiffened, his entire body going rigid with shock. He remained that way for some time, even though she detected a slight tremor in his body, as if he were on the verge of melting into her embrace, but refused to allow himself to do so.

But at least he didn't shove her off of him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry that I never realized just how much you were hurting."

"It's too late for that," he mumbled, his voice weary and broken. "The damage is done."

"Damage can be repaired," Zelda replied, drawing back slightly and reaching up to cradle her son's cheek with one hand. His eyes widened, clearly startled by her touch. "Do you remember the day you and Luke saved me in the Lost Woods?"

"Of course," he huffed, turning his face away from her hand and dropping his eyes. "It was the first time I saw one of my _father's_ servants."

"…Do you remember what you told me before the attack?"

"Why would I remember something like that?"

"You and Luke were playing, and I warned you to stay on the path. But then you told me something about heroes. Can you remember what it was?"

Her son grunted noncommittally, turning a little bit further away. So she waited, patiently allowing the silence to stretch. She was starting to wonder if maybe he _didn't _remember, when she heard him take a slow, steadying breath.

"I… I told you that heroes make their own path."

"That's right," Zelda smiled, relieved that he was even willing to answer. She smiled fondly at him, willing him to see the sincerity in her eyes, and to know just how much she loved him. He crossed his arms across his chest and turned away, and she turned with him, gazing up towards the far-distant mountains. "You know, I used to think that destiny was something that was already written. That it was unchangeable and etched in stone. It was your father who taught me differently. He showed me that we write our own destinies, and carve our own paths."

"Do you really mean my father, or the great Hero of Time?"

"Can't I mean both?" she replied, smiling at him even though a pang of anguish flashed through her heart as he continued to avoid her eyes. "Link feels the same way I do, Kevin. He loves you as his own son. He always has."

"He only ever wanted to keep an eye on Ganon's son."

"He wanted to protect an innocent child, and show that child that he could choose his own path. It doesn't matter who or what you are, Kevin. Nor does it matter where you came from. What matters is where you want to _go_, and who you want to _become._ Once you know the answer to that, you will know the path that you should take."

"Even if that path is the same as my real father's?" Kevin asked with a cold, dark smile.

Zelda's eyes widened slightly with surprise, but after a moment, she allowed herself a small, sad smile. "I already told you the answer to that, didn't I? Whether you believe me or not, you should know that I will trust your decision, whatever it may be."

Again, some of the anger in Kevin's eyes seemed to waver, giving her another taste of that sadness, that loneliness that made her heart ache for him before he regained his composure. "You may come to regret that some day."

"Then I'll face the consequences when they come. Just remember that no matter what you choose, I will always consider you my child."

Kevin didn't respond to her quiet reaffirmation. He just set his jaw and continued to stare outward, stiff and silent. Zelda sighed quietly, then gently reached out to touch his arm. "I love you," she whispered, then turned and began to walk away.

All she could do was hope that he would follow.

_Author's Note:_

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this little story. I wanted to leave an open ending, so I guess it's up to you to decide if Kevin goes to the dark side or not.

KayKay, I hope I was able to do your prompt justice. I really wanted to do Zelda's perspective as the mother figure, but I realize that may not have been what you were going for; sorry if I didn't live up to your expectations. I am curious; what's the significance of the names Kevin and Luke, or did you just like them? Anyway, Happy Birthday! I hope it's a great one!


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